Larry Birnbaum is the CEO of ShopWorn, the ecommerce platform for customers who want to be the first to own authentic, unused luxury products while doing good for the environment. Larry is a veteran of the retail industry, with an all-encompassing background that includes textiles, designer and private label manufacturing and reselling closed out designer apparel. In 2015, Larry and his brother, Richard, decided to address the challenge luxury brands and authorized retailers have long had with the question of what to do with unsold inventory at the end of every season. Discounting would hurt the brand perception, while destroying excess inventory was wasteful and harmful to the environment. The brothers realized they could solve this industry problem by sourcing unsold watches, jewelry, leather goods and other luxury accessories from brands and retailers and sell them directly to consumers online at attractive prices.The company was named “ShopWorn®” after the retail industry term used to define products showcased in store displays and windows. Shop worn products have only ever been handled by staff or tried on by customers but have never been sold. Some have never left store vaults. The “worn” part of shop worn refers to minor cosmetic or surface wear naturally occurring as the item is handled. Being shop worn prevents the items from being considered new, but since no consumers have ever bought the items, they also can’t be considered pre-owned. This distinction helps define pricing and separates ShopWorn from other ecommerce sites selling used merchandise.